The Community Activation Grants provide funding to assist community sport and active recreation organisations deliver one-off events and forums that celebrate the role of women and girls. Grants of up …more

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The Community Activation Grants provide funding to assist community sport and active recreation organisations deliver one-off events and forums that celebrate the role of women and girls.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support community organisations further gender equity at the local level.

All successful applicants will also partake in a pilot program of the Marketing Guidelines forGender Equality in Sport, being developed in partnership with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

The Guidelines are designed to improve the ability of community-level sports organisations to promote and diversify the representation of women in marketing materials.

I encourage you to actively promote this opportunity throughout your community networks, and consider any local program and or activity that you think may benefit from this grant.

For more information on this program, the Change Our Game initiative and leadership resources, visit the newly launched Change Our Game website.

Peninsula Waves were facing the odds as they played off against 2017 premiers, DC North East Blaze. Despite the absence of key midcourter Kate Kelly-Oman, Waves played an outstanding game, with Sacha McDonald and Madeline Morrison stand out members of the team. However, the ten goals scored over Waves in the second quarter paved the way to a 19 goal win for Blaze.

Blaze midcourter, Elle McDonald, said they knew the match was going to be tough from the first whistle. “We were lucky to chip away. We knew Waves were going to come out tough at the start.”

With this victory, Blaze sit level with City West Falcons, but are just outside of the top four by a mere 0.3%.

When asked about the possibility of making finals, McDonald said that her club are taking it week by week, but is confident in the depth of talent the club has to put on court.

Melbourne University Lightning made history on Wednesday night after breaking a monumental VNL record.

In their 70 goal win over the Selkirk Sovereigns, Lightning are the only team to have scored over 100 goals in the last five years in the VNL. Lightning goalers Mikaela Vaughan and Gabrielle Sinclair scored 103 goals from 114 attempts, landing an impressive 90% success rate. The two talented shooters were assisted by Maddy Stewart and Amy Wirth in defence, who limited the ball’s access into the Sovereigns’ goal circle.

The win sees the Lightning jump to second place on the Championship ladder after a significant percentage boost.

Meanwhile, Geelong Cougars have acquired the coveted top position on the Championship ladder following their win against Boroondara Express.

Express’ 68% shooting average gave Cougars’ defenders many opportunities to execute successful turnovers. With the noticeable absence of Goal Keeper Karli Foster, Express were not able to match the speed and agility the Cougars brought to the court.

City West Falcons soared into fourth position on the Championship ladder after defeating Hawks Netball on Wednesday night. Falcons brought forth the level of intensity and power that they are notorious for and dominated the court from start to finish.

Their 95% shooting average, in combination with tough defensive pressure from Jacqui Newton and Zoe Davies, allowed the Falcons to secure a comfortable win and keep their finals dreams intact.

Hawks remain finals contenders thanks to their strong performance in previous rounds. However, since their stranglehold on the Championship grade was disrupted by Melbourne University Lightning last week and must win their next two games comfortably to remain in the top four.

Wilson Storage Southern Saints demonstrated their drastic improvement across the season with a 13 goal win. Even with the absence of Emily Wilson, the Southern Saints remained consistent throughout the game and refused to concede a quarter to the Ariels.

Southern Saints Goal Keeper, Mardi Cunningham, said that their attacking end impressed during the match.

“That performance was probably one of the best games we’ve played in attack,” Cunningham said.

Division One

Geelong Cougars 62 def 26 Boroondara Express

City West Falcons 42 def 35 Hawks Netball

Wilson Storage Southern Saints 43 def 41 Ariels

Peninsula Waves 53 drew 53 DC North East Blaze

Melbourne University Lightning 56 def 42 Selkirk Sovereigns

Geelong Cougars hold their position at the top of the Division One ladder this week after defeating Boroondara Express by 36 goals.

With many players missing from their lineup, Express underwent major movement across the club and were forced to try new combinations on court.

City West Falcons delivered another blow to Hawks Netball after their comfortable seven goal win. Hawks are noticing the absence of star player Olivia Gigli, who is still in the running for the Most Valuable Player award despite her break from the competition. Falcons are now sitting in fifth place and only eight points behind the fourth ranked Selkirk Sovereigns. With this win under their belt, their finals aspirations remain alive.

Wilson Storage Southern Saints and Ariels engaged in a cracking game on Wednesday night. The Ariels held the lead for three quarters of the game, but the Southern Saints were relentless as they continuously challenged their opponents in their fight for the win. As the score gap closed, tensions rose both on and off the court, whilst the pressure seemed to overcome players at times. Shooting accuracy dropped to 50% for the Southern Saints in the third quarter, and 55% for Ariels in the fourth. Despite this, both teams persevered to engage in a highly competitive game of netball, with Southern Saints eventually overcoming Ariels by two goals.

The thriller of the night took place between Peninsula Waves and DC North East Blaze. Despite being out of contention for finals, Waves came out with a point to prove and delivered a shock to their Diamond Creek opponents. In the absence of captain Bridgette Barry-Murphy, Waves midcourter Claudia Whitfort stepped up and played one of her strongest games to date, with her teammates following suit. Alex Maher and Chloe Phillips shot with an impressive 95% accuracy. While Blaze were not as accurate, the clubs stayed within one goal of each other at each quarter break. Despite shooting 13 goals from 13 attempts in the fourth quarter, Blaze were able to fight back and level the score in time for the final siren.

Melbourne University Lightning continued their winning streak after defeating Selkirk Sovereigns by 14 goals.

Lightning Centre Ella Woodman described her team’s performance as “exceptional” as their fitness and connections have significantly improved as the season continues.

“While it is unfortunate that we can’t make finals, we want to finish the season how we would have liked to start it”, Ella said.

This defeat will come as a blow to the Sovereigns, who were hoping to cement a definite position in the finals series. However, they are not out of the running, given that they are sitting two wins ahead of the fifth ranked City West Falcons.

19/U

Wilson Storage Southern Saints 38 def by 50 Ariels

Peninsula Waves 51 def by 52 DC North East Blaze

Melbourne University Lightning 48 def by 53 Selkirk Sovereigns

Geelong Cougars 42 def by 57 Boroondara Express

City West Falcons 63 def 45 Hawks Netball Club

Ariels prevailed with a 12 goal win over Wilson Storage Southern Saints on Wednesday. Defensive pressure from the Ariels was strong as they were able to restrict the Southern Saints from scoring more than ten goals in two separate quarters. Kara Morrison was particularly valuable for the Ariels with her shooting efforts; she and Grace Kelly shot with 86% accuracy.

The State Netball Hockey Centre erupted with cheers from both clubs and their supporters when Peninsula Waves and DC North East Blaze faced off. A one goal lead alternated between Waves and Blaze across the first three quarters until Blaze took a four goal advantage at three quarter time. Waves were determined to continue the battle and with less than a minute to go, they had levelled the score. A turnover in Blaze’s favour saw them gain possession of the ball, where Goal Attack Abbey Ellis took the opportunity to shoot the winning goal in the final seconds of the game.

Blaze Goal Shooter, Suli Leota, said that she enjoyed watching the way her team approached the game.

“Watching my team play with their heart and soul and put their body on the line was amazing,” Leota said.

“The win places us nicely in the top four, but we’re not going to become complacent in the final games of the season.”

In a close match between Melbourne University Lightning and Selkirk Sovereigns, the Ballarat squad were able to prevail by five goals. Excitement grew as Sovereigns levelled the score at half time after trailing in the first quarter. Maggie Caris shot a total of 49 goals for the Sovereigns throughout the game, helping her team take the lead during the third quarter and eventually grasp the win.

Boroondara Express affirmed their control over 19/U division this round after defeating Geelong Cougars by 15 goals. As usual, the standard of the Boroondara team impressed spectators; their goalers shot with 89% accuracy, and their defenders were out in full force. Express have sat at the top of the ladder for most of the season and remain finals favourites as they approach round 17.

City West Falcons stepped closer to breaking into the top four after their 18 goal win against Hawks Netball. Falcons shooter, Uneeq Palavi, was in her element as she shot 52 of her team’s total goals. Falcons currently sit one win out from finals contention. Therefore, they must prevail in their next two games comfortably to continue past round 18. This is a tough task, as they are paired against top ranked Peninsula Waves and DC North East Blaze in their final games of the season. Given their recent performance, Falcons are clearly determined and capable of playing in the finals.

The penultimate round of the Bupa Victorian Netball League takes place on Wednesday, August 8th at the State Netball Hockey Centre. Join us from 7pm to watch the round 17 matches take place.

Netball Victoria has announced the launch of the Multiple Disbursement Gateway (MPS) commonly known as Split Payments after the completion of our trial over the past months. We are very …more

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Netball Victoria has announced the launch of the Multiple Disbursement Gateway (MPS) commonly known as Split Payments after the completion of our trial over the past months.

We are very excited to finally provide our dedicated and hardworking affiliates with a process that will reduce the administration involved in registering members. We have undertaken very thorough testing and are now confident to introduce this process across all netball affiliates.

Affiliates will transition to Split Payments over the next couple of months with a proposed deadline of 30 September, 2018.

This is transition is compulsory for all affiliates.

WHAT IS SPLIT PAYMENTS AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

Split Payments is a multi-disbursement gateway function that allows online payments to be disbursed to multiple recipients via a single transaction.

For example: A club member will be able to go online in MyNetball, and in a single transaction, be able to purchase a club membership, pay the association/league fee and pay the Netball Victoria Membership fee.

The Split Payments functionality then allows for the payment to be split, sending the club money to the nominated account (if any), the association/league fees (if any) to the nominated account and the Netball Victoria Membership fee directly to Netball Victoria.

WHY USE SPLIT PAYMENTS?

The use of Split Payments removes the need for Netball Victoria to invoice affiliates and for the association/league to then invoice their clubs for NV Membership and Suncorp NetSetGO registration. The removal of this invoicing process will save hundreds of hours of administration time for our volunteers and administrators at both club, association/league and at Netball Victoria level.

WHAT DOES THIS CHANGE MEAN TO AFFILIATES AND MEMBERS?

Once your organisation has transitioned over to Split Payments there is NO change to the process for your members to register, things will look exactly the same for your members. The difference you will see is that all of the Netball Victoria Membership fee is disbursed directly to NV and any other fees will be disbursed directly to the appropriate organisation. For you the administrator, this means NO hours spent invoicing or chasing Netball Victoria Membership fees from your members or clubs.

HOW WILL NETBALL VICTORIA TRANSITION AFFILIATES?

Due to the large number of affiliates that need to transition, we will be undertaking this process gradually over the next 2 months and ask for your assistance to enable us to meet the deadline.

The Netball Victoria Member Services team and regional teams will follow a transition plan over the coming months. We ask that once you are contacted by a member of our team, that you action the request immediately or forward the email or message onto the relevant person within your organisation ASAP to action.

Should you receive correspondence from Netball Victoria regarding the Split Payment process and you are not the appropriate contact at your organisation, we ask that you PLEASE CONTACT NETBALL VICTORIA IMMEDIATELY via return email or phone 9321 2255 to advise of this and if possible, provide new contact details for the appropriate person at your organisation.

HOW LONG WILL THE TRANSITION PROCESS TAKE

The transition process will only take 5-10 mins to complete by each organisation. Once Netball Victoria has confirmed the transition process has been completed correctly, affiliates can use Spilt Payments (MPS Gateway) instantly.

To ensure the Split Payment process operates correctly all levels eg club, association or league, the transition onto the gateway must be actioned within the time period allocated above.

PLEASE NOTE:IT IS CRITICAL THAT EACH ORGANSIATION COMPLETES THE TRANSITION PROCESS WITHIN OR PRIOR TO THE DEADLINES ADVISED TO ENSURE THE INTEGRITY, SUCCESS AND DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS TO ALL ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE STATE MOVING FORWARD.

HOW DO AFFILIATES PREPARE?

In preparation for the transition we ask that you please start to check and gather the below information and request the same information from your child organisations (clubs – if relevant).

Actions Required and Information required to transition to Split Payments:

Ensure the Principal User details in MyNetball are up to date and accurate. This is who Netball Victoria will contact should we need to make contact. Please click here to find our MyNetball User Quick reference guide to assist you to update or change these details or your MyNetball IT Users.

The following information is required to enter into MyNetball:

Bank Account Name

BSB Number

Bank Account Number

Each affiliate will be able to enter and manage their own bank account details for Split Payments. Further instructions will be provided in the Split Payment e-mail you receive from your Netball Victoria contact in the coming weeks.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO NETBALL VICTORIA MEMBERSHIP INVOICES?

The last invoice you receive from Netball Victoria for Netball Victoria membership will include NV Memberships from July 2018 – September 2018.

If your organisation has not taken Netball Victoria membership during this period, in the future invoices and direct debits from Netball Victoria will only occur for items such as affiliation, umpire badges, rule books, merchandise etc.

WHAT ARE THE SPLIT PAYMENTS (MPS GATEWAY) – TERMS AND CONDITIONS?

The terms and conditions can be found here. These must be read and accepted to progress with Spit Payments.

Associations/leagues and clubs can use MyNetball to sell memberships, uniforms, courses, events, manage registration, communicate with members via email and text and much more.

In addition it provides a one stop shop, database and competition management system for your clubs, associations and leagues. For more about the benefits of the MyNetball system please visit our MyNetball page on the Netball Victoria website.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many associations, leagues and clubs that have assisted Netball Victoria to test this new process. Your support of Netball Victoria and all affiliates has been invaluable in allowing us the opportunity to provide a process that will save your fellow volunteers with many, many hours of administration time.

Netball Victoria is seeking applications for a number of roles across the Victorian Fury, State Teams and Zone Academy programs. 2019 Victorian Fury Applications for the 2019 Victorian Fury officials …more

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Netball Victoria is seeking applications for a number of roles across the Victorian Fury, State Teams and Zone Academy programs.

2019 Victorian State Team

Netball Victoria is seeking expressions of interest from experienced coaches, selectors, team managers, physiotherapists and massage therapists, who would like to gain more experience working with pre-elite athletes in one of Netball Victoria’s underpinning elite teams, in the 17/U and 19/U age groups. To learn more about the available positions, see the below position descriptions:

Rock Up Netball Youth is one of 19 new sport programs included in VicHealth’s new Growing Participation in Sport program. Rock Up Netball Youth is a non-traditional format of netball which is …more

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Rock Up Netball Youth is one of 19 new sport programs included in VicHealth’s new Growing Participation in Sport program. Rock Up Netball Youth is a non-traditional format of netball which is fun, flexible, social, non-competitive and run outside of school hours.

Additionally the report found 92 per cent of teenagers aren’t meeting the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines of an hour of physical activity every day. In contrast the average teenager spends more than three hours a day on screens like smartphones and ipads.

VicHealth will partner with 19 sports, including AFL, touch football, and skateboarding, to try to turn this around by making sport more fun and attractive to teenagers.

New activities to tempt teens away from their screens include a seven-week festival combining food trucks and touch football and a rollerskating program targeting teenage girls.

Victorian Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said the health benefits for teenagers from being regularly active couldn’t be underestimated.

“Regular physical activity and playing sport can provide many benefits for our physical and mental health. This program is about making sport attractive and interesting for teenagers so they can be happy, healthy and thrive.”

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said the statewide program was all about making sport accessible, fun and non-competitive to get less active teens into sport.

“Playing sport is a really fun and social way for our kids to keep active, but we know that sport participation halves when they hit their teenage years,” Ms Rechter said.

“Many teenagers have told us that they stopped playing sport because it stopped being fun and started getting too competitive.

“We’re working with sports organisations to deliver programs for teens that focus more on having fun and building skills and less on winning and being the best. Additionally they combine sport with things we know teens love like food trucks, hanging out with friends and listening to music.”

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said sports organisations had to try new things if they wanted to get less active teens to play sport.

“Many teenagers have told us they’re not interested in sport that’s too competitive or that takes them away from doing the things they love like hanging out with their friends,” she said.

“Some young people thrive on competition and playing to win. Yet a lot of teenagers just want sport to be fun, social and a bit of a stress relief.

“Regular physical activity is so great for teens’ physical and mental health and we need them to do more of it. If that means changing the way sport is played then we need to shake things up to benefit our kids’ health.”

The Growing Participation in Sport program aims to get close to 60,000 less active teenagers playing sport over the next three years. Activities will focus on engaging teenagers who face health inequities, those who don’t engage in regular physical activity and those that aren’t interested in participating in existing traditional sport offerings. More information is available at https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/funding/growing-participation-in-sport-program

Wednesday night’s Bupa Victorian Netball League saw two Victorian umpires receive their A Grade Badge – to find out how to become an umpire click here. Maddie O’Nial and Jordan …more

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Wednesday night’s Bupa Victorian Netball League saw two Victorian umpires receive their A Grade Badge – to find out how to become an umpire click here.

Maddie O’Nial and Jordan O’Keefe both received their badges after being tested during Round.

Beginning umpiring at the age of 14, O’Nial’s 10+ years of umpiring includes competitions such as the Regional Victorian Netball League, VNL and National Netball Championships.

O’Nial has also been a part of Netball Victoria’s Talented Umpire Program, being mentored by International Netball Federation umpire, Marc Henning who praised Maddie for her commitment to umpiring and obtaining her A Badge.

“This is a marvellous achievement. Maddie has been extremely responsive on her approach to the coaching during her time in the Talented Umpire Program,” Henning said.

“She has taken on-board some challenging feedback and then implementing this on court to a high level.”

O’Keefe has also progressed through the Netball Victoria pathway, beginning umpiring in his hometown of Ballarat before progressing to the VNL.

“We are so proud of Jordan and his persistence in achieving his A Grade accreditation,” Gallop said.

“The A Grade Badge is such a great accomplishment and demonstrates his commitment and dedication to umpiring and we’re excited to see what comes next for Jordan.”

The A Badge is the second highest grade of the Netball Australia Umpire Accreditation system. To obtain the A Grade Badge, umpires must pass a theory exam with a mark of 90% or higher and demonstrate a range of skills in a practical test during a Bupa Victorian Netball League match.

For more information about how to get involved in umpiring, visit the Netball Victoria webpage.

Peninsula Waves cemented their spot in second position on the ladder after their clash against Wilson Storage Southern Saints. Goal Defender Eliza McGuigan was crucial for the Waves, continuously stopping the Southern Saints’ opportunities for goal. The Waves’ attack was also first rate with Wing Attack Samantha Waters feeding the ball down the court effortlessly. Waves are in good practice for when they will take on the third ranked Geelong Cougars in Round 14.

Ariels played a high standard of netball after only two days recovery from their Round 12 home game. Unfortunately for Ariels, some missed opportunities at goal could not compare to the City West Falcons’ 90% accuracy. Nonetheless, Ariels worked soundly together as a team and continue to demonstrate consistent improvement as the season progresses.

Geelong Cougars and DC North East Blaze played with a point to prove on Wednesday night. The two teams are likely to face each other in the finals series and as such, this match acted as a finals’ preview for spectators. The Cougars took a five-goal lead in the first quarter which they continued to build on throughout the game. Despite solid defensive pressure from Blaze, Cougars ended the game 14 goal victors.

Selkirk Sovereigns are moving from strength to strength with each round of the Bupa VNL. After an impressive win over the reigning premiers last week, Sovereigns maintained their strong game play as they defeated Hawks Netball.

Boroondara Express continue to flaunt their finals’ aspirations with a 34 goal win over Melbourne University Lightning. Express defender Ella Spencer stole the limelight with an excellent performance in the goal circle. The Express appear unstoppable with only one loss to date this season, although, they are faced with a tough draw in the next few rounds. Fellow finals hopefuls Peninsula Waves and Selkirk Sovereigns are coming off an extensive winning streak and will undoubtedly put up a strong contest against the Boroondara squad.

Division One

Wilson Storage Southern Saints 50 def by 54 Peninsula Waves

Melbourne University Lightning 53 def 34 Boroondara Express

Hawks Netball 31 def by 59 Selkirk Sovereigns

Geelong Cougars 48 def by 58 DC North East Blaze

Ariels 34 def by 64 City West Falcons

With Wilson Storage Southern Saints and Peninsula Waves sitting neck and neck on the ladder, a win was critical for both teams to keep their finals dreams alive. The Waves achieved a seven-goal lead in the second quarter, largely due to the quality shooting efforts from Jordyn Barnett and Alex Maher. While the Southern Saints were able to close the gap to just four goals by three quarter time, the Waves came out victorious.

Boroondara Express experienced a tough loss to Melbourne University Lightning with Express’ goal shooter Tess Linkins suffering a devastating injury in the first quarter. The Lightning took an early lead helped by defender, Hannah Orval who continued to impress after being promoted from the 19/U squad. Down the other end of the court, Tarnee Adams and Rebecca Winch worked seamlessly together in the ring for the Lightning.

The Lightning are looking noticeably stronger compared to when they faced the City West Falcons in Round 4. The two clubs are sure to put on a powerful performance when they revisit each other next week.

Selkirk Sovereigns bounced back after their demoralising loss to the Geelong Cougars in Round 12. The resilient team took out an important victory over Hawks Netball with the 28-goal win largely attributed to the defensive pressure from Goal Keeper Rachel Leader. The Sovereigns were able to restrict Hawks’ opportunities for goal, despite missing six of their regular players this week. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they have been knocked from their top position on the ladder after this match. While it is certainly possible for them to regain this post, they will be put to the test in the coming weeks.

After a draw between Geelong Cougars and DC North East Blaze in Round 5, the two teams faced each other again with the Diamond Creek club prevailing as 10 goal victors. Blaze midcourter, Samantha Coppinger once again drew the attention of the umpires and received three MVP votes while, Rebecca Colwell was also in fine form, shooting 36 goals from 37 attempts.

City West Falcons’ Goal Attack, Andrea Tai was excellent in the goal circle against the Ariels, with defenders Grace Rogers and Sonia Harris putting up a commendable fight to help their team to a 30-goal win.

Championship

Geelong Cougars 58 def 53 DC North East Blaze

Wilson Storage Southern Saints 39 def by 47 Peninsula Waves

Melbourne University Lightning 50 def 45 Boroondara Express

Ariels 38 def by 71 City West Falcons

Hawks Netball 67 def 32 Selkirk Sovereigns

The game of the night took place between the Geelong Cougars and DC North East Blaze with only one goal separating the two teams for the majority of the match, before the Cougars ran away with a five-goal win. Blaze shooters shot at a remarkable 98% accuracy rate; as a team, they missed one goal for the entire game.

Wilson Storage Southern Saints and Peninsula Waves displayed an excellent standard of netball. Both teams boasted star players on their line up; Rahni Samason and Sharni Lambden donned the Peninsula dress, while Melbourne Vixens’ midcourter Khao Watts played for the Southern Saints as she continues to recover from injury. After three highly intense quarters, the Waves sat one goal ahead. In the final quarter, they were able to extend their lead to secure an eight-goal win.

Melbourne University Lightning and Boroondara Express played a highly competitive game, despite being ranked 2nd and 9th on the Championship ladder respectively. With the return of Vic Fury captain Lara Dunkley, the Express matched the intensity brought forth by the Lightning to sit equal at quarter time. Express defender Karli Foster performed brilliantly against Lightning shooter and Vic Fury vice-captain, Mikaela Vaughan. While Express won the second half of the game, an 18 goal second quarter allowed the Lightning to triumph by five.

Ariels looked strong as they took on the City West Falcons. Defenders Monique Clark and Jayde Aron continued to please spectators with their solid pressure against star Falcons’ shooters Tahnysha Salanoa and Jane Cook. Unfortunately for the Ariels, famously strong defenders Zoe Davies and Anger Akec were playing to their best ability and greatly restricted any chances the Ariels had with the ball. After this win, the Falcons have broken into the top four positions on the ladder. However, they will be put to the test in Round 14 as they face the Melbourne University Lightning.

Hawks Netball maintained their dominance in the Bupa VNL after a 35-goal win over the Selkirk Sovereigns. Their strong performance allowed the Hawks Division One player, Enya Broadley, to make her Championship debut. Even with their young additions, the Hawks’ experience as a team was evident. Lil O’Sullivan and Nat Billings commanded the court and read game play expertly. The Hawks remain on top of the Championship ladder as they head into Round 14.

Victorian Fury goaler Rahni Samason has capped off a remarkable year in the Deakin University Australian League (ANL), being named as the Fury’s Most Valuable Player tonight. Scoring 524 goals …more

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Victorian Fury goaler Rahni Samason has capped off a remarkable year in the Deakin University Australian League (ANL), being named as the Fury’s Most Valuable Player tonight.

Scoring 524 goals for the Fury this year, Samason has been a formidable target in attack for the Fury.

Samason had a clear lead in the vote count, with 28 votes at the end of the count, followed by midcourters Molly Jovic (17) and Tayla Honey (11).

Her outstanding performances have also been recognised at the league level, being awarded the ANL Most Valuable Player.

The 20-year-old, who is also a Melbourne Vixens training partner, credited the calibre of coaches and players for her success.

“It’s really good to know that I have such high standards around me; I’m learning from the best, it’s absolutely phenomenal,” said Samason.

“It’s crucial to have a good culture and the right people around you and this group is fantastic – we gel so well together on and off the court and that culture really showed throughout the season.”

As a Vixens Training Partner, Rahni has been exposed to the elite level which has now become her ambition.

“I’m a big dreamer, I have really big goals, so I really want to make it to that next level,” said Samason.

“I think I’m in a good position right now, especially with the people around me and all of their support to try to get me to where I want to be.”

Defender Rudi Ellis was also recognised for her achievements in 2018, being given the Coaches’ Award, as determined by head coach, Leesa Gallard, assistant coach, Elissa Kent and apprentice coach, Jess Whitford.

Team Manager Melissa Ryan has been recognised for her contributions to the Fury this year, being presented with the Outstanding Service Award, as voted by the players and staff of the Fury.

The Victorian Fury athletes now return to the Bupa Victorian Netball League, Victoria’s premier state league, hoping to give their teams a boost in the last five rounds before finals.